Updates on planning policy at South Downs National Park

Updates on planning policy at South Downs National Park

July 27, 2020

The South Downs National Park’s first Local Plan was adopted last year and since then the National Park Authority has been working on a number of Supplementary Documents (SPD) and Technical Advice Notes (TAN).  These documents will provide further guidance to support the implementation of certain Local Plan policies. Lucy Howard, Planning Policy Manager, gives an overview of the key documents:

Both SPDs and TANs will form material considerations in the determination of planning applications in the National Park.  We will be consulting on the SPDs, which will therefore carry more weight once they are adopted.  Here is a list of all the SPDs and TANs set out in date order along with the Local Plan policies they relate to.

Affordable Housing SPD (adopted July 2020) Provides further guidance on Policies SD28:  Affordable Homes and SD29 Rural Exception Sites.

Extensions and Replacement Dwellings TAN (published July 2020) Provides further guidance on Policies SD30: Replacement Dwellings and SD31: Extensions to existing dwellings, and provision of annexes and outbuildings.  This TAN replaces an earlier version of the TAN published in 2019.

Sustainable Construction SPD (adoption August 2020) Provides further guidance on Policies SD2: Ecosystem Services, SD3 Major Development, SD22: Parking Provision (where it relates to electric vehicle charging) and Policy SD48 Climate Change and Sustainable Use of Resources.  The SPD replaces a TAN published in 2019.

Camping and Glamping TAN (consultation autumn 2020) Provides further guidance on Policy SD23:  Sustainable Tourism.  There will be an informal consultation with key stakeholders on the TAN in autumn 2020.

Parking SPD (consultation autumn 2020) Provides further guidance on Policy SD22:  Parking Provision.  The SPD will set out landscape-led parking standards for car and cycle parking for residential and non-residential development across the National Park.  They will replace existing standards in the West and East Sussex parts of the National Park; there are currently no parking standards for that part of National Park in Hampshire.

Habitat Regulation Assessment TAN (publish autumn 2020) Provides further guidance on Policy SD10:  International Sites in regard to Habitat Regulation Assessment (HRA).  The TAN will provide bespoke proformas for development proposals within the international sites and their buffer zones.

Design SPD (consultation winter 2020/21) Provides further guidance on Policy SD5:  Design and the landscape-led approach to design.

Equestrian TAN (publish spring 2021) Provides further guidance on Policy SD24:  Equestrian Uses.  There will be an informal consultation with the equestrian community on the TAN in winter 2020/21.

Dark Night Skies TAN (publish spring 2021) Provides further guidance on Policy SD8:  Dark Night Skies.  This TAN replaces an earlier version of the TAN published in 2018.

Trees SPD (consultation spring 2021) Provides further guidance on Policy SD11:  Trees, Woodland and Hedgerows.

Viticulture TAN (publish spring 2021) Provides further guidance on Policy SD39:  Agriculture and Forestry in regard to viticulture.  It follows on from a Viticulture Growth Impact Assessment and the TAN will be accompanied by a Sustainability Guide for Viticulture Development in the South Downs.